Drive or Fly: San Diego, CA to Santa Rosa, CA?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Could go either way

Medium

This distance is a toss-up. Drive if you want flexibility and lower cost, fly if you value time. Connecting flights add time.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

10h 22m

Distance

548.1 mi

Total Cost

$295

CO2

221 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$115

Hotel (1 room, 1 night) $110

Meals (1 pax, 2 days) $70

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

− Requires 2 days of driving

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 21m

1h in the air

Air Distance

503 mi

Total Cost

$195

CO2

128 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → SAN 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 60m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STS → Santa Rosa, CA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $140) $140

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

San Diego, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

Santa Rosa, CA STS — Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

Flight Data

Service

Connecting only

On-Time

97.7%

Cancellation

2.3%

+ Saves about 7h 1m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	10h 22m	3h 21m
Total cost (1 person)	$295	$195
Carbon footprint	221 kg CO₂	128 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	98% on-time

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Jun 3, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from San Diego, CA to Santa Rosa, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.